GOPer Diller "resists Gore Charm, won't aid network" -veto's Dem ownership

[papau]

http://www.nypost.com/business/13526.htm

DILLER RESISTS GORE CHARM, WON'T AID NETWORK

December 16, 2003 -- With Barry Diller blocking his plans to buy a cable network, former Vice President Al Gore decided that it might be time for a sit-down.<snip>

The two made little progress, and Diller continues to block Gore's dreams of launching a left-leaning cable news network, source said.<snip>

Gore envisions creating a youth-oriented cable news network with a left-leaning political slant.

The group advising Gore - which includes big Democratic Party fund-raiser Joel Hyatt, who is Gore's largest financial backer - is deciding whether to locate the network in San Francisco or New York.

Two names for the channel are being debated: The Indie Channel and VTV.

[Homer12]

1. Should anyone even question the Modus Operendi of the...

..Right-Wing anymore. Overtly stopping the formation of a liberal left-leaning network.

The right-wing is against free-markets and free speech.

[KamaAina]

2. It's worse than you think. Diller isn't a GOPer but a Dem contributor.

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=Diller%2C+Barry&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&txt2000=Y&Order=N

He has pretty good taste in Dems, too. Obama in IL even got some $$ from Barry! So why, why would he stop President Gore from starting a media voice to counteract Faux and BSNBC?

Oh, rigjht, same reason Gephardt, um, er, I mean the "Coalition for Jobs and Healthcare" or whatever is taking potshots at Dean -- the Circular Firing Squad Principle.

Who knows? Diller might be holding out for extra $$ or something. Cripes. We need this puppy on the air before primary season!

[lazarus]

3. with the trouble

MSNBC is in, I don't see why they don't just sweep in and buy that channel out.

[cprise]

4. I would do the same in Diller's shoes

NewsWorld is a product of the Public broadcasting sector, and this ought to explain a lot about why NWI is the way it is (a good news source). It measures itself against the CBC and BBC, not FOX or MTV. Well understood in the rest of the developed world, even liberal Americans almost never get this point. It just DOESN'T sink in.

Gore would create another ravenous corporate entity that would no doubt betray economic liberalism far more quickly than CNN did (which used to give liberals a fair shake). And then there is the nakedly political nature of the proposed outfit-- Already a source of deep satisfaction to the NY Post, as it would provide perfect cover for their Scaifees and Moons (The NY Post and Washington Times would gain prestige as "relatively neutral" news sources).

Young adults should be challenged with adult subject matter. Creating a youth ghetto for information is not the way to foster strong greassroots politics. Infantilizing information results in political correctness in the worse sense of the term; What you get are slogans and style and sentimentality, and very little thinking... and eventually "hip" selfish impatient people who become Reagan Democrats.

Lastly, if as a movement you can't bring yourself to read abroad and bring yourself to consider ways to emulate the successes of other countries, then you're not going to be very effective in advancing progressive ideas and policies. Insularity appeals to conservatives and works for their ideas, but it sabotages us; so I recommend dropping the US-Liberal wet dream of being wed by a tall man with deep pockets.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

5. I agree! Gore wants to take this great news source from us to....

make it into some MTV Hyped up pop culture "Newsfulmercial".

NWI is better off where it is right now!

Maybe Gore should try to buy up MSGOP, no one watches it and it can't cost more than a used Ford Pinto.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. Amen to both of you!

If Gore took NWI away from me, he'd be on my "fecal roster" (as Pat Paulsen used to say) forever.

He can just go buy one of those all-too-numerous and mind-numbing shopping channels.

[HootieMcBoob]

6. I hope he's exploring other options

there are so many crap stations on cable these days there must be one out there they could buy. I hear that TechTV is in pretty bad shape. Maybe they should look into that.